Muscles of the Soft Palate

The Levator Veli Palatini (Levator Palati)

• Superior attachment: cartilage of the auditory tube and petrous part of temporal bone.
• Inferior attachment: palatine aponeurosis.
• Innervation: pharyngeal branch of vagus via pharyngeal plexus.
• This cylindrical muscle runs inferoanteriorly, spreading out in the soft palate, where it attaches to the superior surface of the palatine aponeurosis.
• It elevates the soft palate, drawing it superiorly and posteriorly.
• It also opens the auditory tube to equalise air pressure in the middle ear and pharynx.

The Tensor Veli Palatini (Tensor Palati)

• Superior attachment: scaphoid fossa of medial pterygoid plate, spine of sphenoid bone, and cartilage of auditory tube.
• Inferior attachment: palatine aponeurosis.
• Innervation: medial pterygoid nerve (a branch of the mandibular nerve).
• This thin, triangular muscle passes inferiorly, and hooks around the hamulus of the medial pterygoid plate.
• It then inserts into the palatine aponeurosis.
• This muscle tenses the soft palate by using the hamulus as a pulley.
• It also pulls the membranous portion of the auditory tube open to equalise air pressure of the middle ear and pharynx.

The Palatoglossus Muscle

• Superior attachment: palatine aponeurosis.
• Inferior attachment: side of tongue.
• Innervation: cranial part of accessory nerve (CN XI) through the pharyngeal branch of vagus (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus.
• This muscle, covered by mucous membrane, forms the palatoglossal arch.
• The palatoglossus elevates the posterior part of the tongue and draws the soft palate inferiorly onto the tongue.

The Palatopharyngeus Muscle

• Superior attachment: hard palate and palatine aponeurosis.
• Inferior attachment: lateral wall of pharynx.
• Innervation: cranial part of accessory nerve (CN XI) through the pharyngeal branch of vagus (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus.
• This thin, flat muscle is covered with mucous membrane to form the palatopharyngeal arch.
• It passes posteroinferiorly in this arch.
• This muscle tenses the soft palate and pulls the walls of the pharynx superiorly, anteriorly and medially during swallowing.

The Musculus Uvulae

• Superior attachment: posterior nasal spine and palatine aponeurosis.
• Inferior attachment: mucosa of uvula.
• Innervation: cranial part of accessory through the pharyngeal branch of vagus, via the pharyngeal plexus.
• It passes posteriorly on each side of the median plane and inserts into the mucosa of the uvula.
• When the muscle contracts, it shortens the uvula and pulls it superiorly.

The Walls of the Orbit

• Each orbit has four walls: superior (roof), medial, inferior (floor) and lateral.
• The medial walls of the orbit are almost parallel with each other and with the superior part of the nasal cavities separating them.
• The lateral walls are approximately at right angles to each other

Mylohyoid Muscle

• Origin: Mylohyoid line of the mandible.
• Insertion: Median raphe and body of the hyoid bone.
• Nerve Supply: Nerve to mylohyoid (branch of the trigeminal nerve, CN V3).
• Arterial Supply: Sublingual branch of the lingual artery and submental branch of the facial artery.
• Action: Elevates the hyoid bone, base of the tongue, and floor of the mouth; depresses the mandible.

Geniohyoid Muscle

• Origin: Inferior genial tubercles of the mandible.
• Insertion: Anterior surface of the body of the hyoid bone.
• Nerve Supply: Branch of C1 through the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).
• Arterial Supply: Sublingual branch of the lingual artery.
• Action: Elevates the hyoid bone and depresses the mandible.

BONE

 A rigid form of CT, Consists of matrix and cells

 Matrix contains:

 organic component 35% collagen fibres

 inorganic salts 65% calcium phosphate (58,5%),  calcium carbonate (6,5%)

2 types of bone - spongy (concellous)

 compact (dense)

 Microscopic elements are the same

 Spongy bone consists of bars (trabeculae) which branch and unite to form a meshwork

 Spaces are filled with bone marrow

 Compact bone appears solid but has microscopic spaces

 In long bones the shaft is compact bone

 And the ends (epiphysis) consists of spongy bone covered with compact bone

Flat bones consists of 2 plates of compact bone with spongy bone in-between

 Periosteum covers the bone

 Endosteum lines marrow cavity and spaces

 These 2 layers play a role in the nutrition of bone tissue

 They constantly supply the bone with new osteoblasts for the repair and growth of bone

Microscopically

 The basic structural unit of bone is the Haversian system or osteon

 An osteon consists of a central Haversian canal

- In which lies vessels nerves and loose CT

- Around the central canal lies rings of lacunae

- A lacuna is a space in the matrix in which lies the osteocyte

- The lacunae are connected through canaliculi which radiate from the lacunae

- In the canaliculi are the processes of the osteocytes

- The canaliculi link up with one another and also with the Haversian canal

- The processes communicate with one another in the canaliculi through gap junctions

- Between two adjacent rows of lacunae lie the lamellae, 5-7µm thick

- In three dimensions the Haversian systems are cylindrical

- The collagen fibres lie in a spiral in the lamellae

- Perpendicular to the Haversian canals are the Volkman's canals

- They link up with the marrow cavity and the Haversian canals

- Some lamellae do not form part of a Haversian system

- They are the:

- Inner circumferential lamellae - around the marrow cavity

- Outer circumferential lamellae - underneath the outer surface of the bone

- Interstitial lamellae - between the osteons

Endosteum

Lines all cavities like marrow spaces, Haversian- and Volkman's canals

Consists of a single layer of squamous osteoprogenitor cells with a thin reticular CT layer underneath it

Continuous with the inner layer of periosteum

Covers the trabeculae of spongy bone

Cells differentiate into osteoblasts (like the cells of the periosteum)

Periosteum

 Formed by tough CT

 2 layers

Outer fibrous layer:  Thickest, Contains collagen fibres,

Some fibres enter the bone - called Sharpey's fibres

Contains blood vessels.

Also fibrocytes and the other cells found in common CT

Inner cellular layer

Flattened cells (continuous with the endosteum)

Can divide and differentiate into osteoprogenitor cells

spindle shaped

little amount of rough EPR

poorly developed Golgi complex

play a prominent role in bone growth and repair

Osteoblasts

Oval in shape, Have thin processes, Rough EPR in one part of the cell (basophilic)

On the other side is the nucleus, Golgi and the centrioles in the middle, Form matrix

Become trapped in the matrix

Osteocytes

Mature cells, Less basophilic than the osteoblasts, Lie trapped in the lacunae, Their processes lie in the canaliculi, Processes communicate with one another through gap junctions, Substances (nutrients, waste products) are passed on from cell to cell

Osteoclasts

 Very large,  Multinucleate (up to 50),  On inner and outer surface of bone,  Lie in depressions on the surface called Howships lacunae,  The cell surface facing the bone has short irregular processes

Acidophylic

 Has many lysosomes, polyribosomes and rough EPR

 Lysosomal enzymes are secreted to digest the bone

 Resorbs the organic part of bone

Histogenesis

Two types of bone development.

- intramembranous ossification

- endochondral ossification

In both these types of bone development temporary primary bone is deposited which is soon replaced by secondary bone. Primary bone has more osteocytes and the mineral content is lower.

Eye 

At week 4, two depressions are evident on each of the forebrain hemispheres.  As the anterior neural fold closes, the optic pits elongate to form the optic vesicles.  The optic vesicles remain connected to the forebrain by optic stalks. 
The invagination of the optic vesicles forms a bilayered optic cup.  The bilayered cup becomes the dual layered retina (neural and pigmented layer)
Surface ectoderm forms the lens placode, which invaginates with the optic cup.
The optic stalk is deficient ventrally to contain choroids fissure to allow blood vessels into the eye (hyaloid artery).  The artery feeds the growing lens, but will its distal portion will eventually degenerate such that the adult lens receives no hyaloid vasculature.
At the 7th week, the choroids fissure closes and walls fuse as the retinal nerve get bigger.
The anterior rim of the optic vesicles forms the retina and iris.  The iris is an outgrowth of the distal edge of the retina.
Optic vesicles induces/maintains the development of the lens vesicle, which forms the definitive lens.  Following separation of the lens vesicle from the surface ectoderm, the cornea develops in the anterior 1/5th of the eye.
The lens and retina are surrounded by mesenchyme which forms a tough connective tissue, the sclera, that is continuous with the dura mater around the optic nerve.  
Iridopupillary membrane forms to separate the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye.  The membrane breaks down to allow for the pupil
Mesenchyme surrounding the forming eye forms musculature (ciliary muscles and pupillary muscles – from somitomeres 1 and 2; innervated by CN III), supportive connective tissue elements and vasculature.

Eyelids

Formed by an outgrowth of ectoderm that is fused at its midline in the 2nd trimester, but later reopen.